Lady Sherlock: Circle of the Smiling Dead

An epic struggle between two formidable women: one madly intent on enslavement and revenge, the other fighting for a free and rational humanity - as well as the precious life of her only daughter.

Lady Natasha (Tasha) Dorrintgon, an emancipated and brilliant detective in 1906 London, is drawn into a deadly mystery involving an ancient pagan curse and a diabolical scheme to plunge Europe into a devastating war.
An Admiralty courier is murdered, and plans for the Dreadnought -- a new battleship that will upset the balance of naval power -- are stolen. All evidence implicates Great Britain’s international rival: Germany. Tasha is summoned to help solve the crime. She is thus observed by DEIRDRE, the Priestess of a malevolent cult intent on exacting vengeance on Western Civilization for the long-ago decimation of her religious sect. Cleverly leveraging the greed of giant armaments firms in England and Germany, Deirdre plans to frame Germany in an attack on the Dreadnought. In her arrogance, Deirdre decides to simultaneously engage Tasha in a contest of wits.
The story moves from fog-bound London to a desolate island off the coast of Scotland. Deirdre manipulates Tasha's overconfidence, crafting a mystery to lure her into a labyrinth of false leads, lethal traps, and an unexpected romance. As Tasha pieces together the puzzle, Deirdre plays her top card and strikes at Tasha's vulnerable heart by kidnapping her young daughter - left defenseless in her Mother's occupational absence.
It is an epic struggle between two formidable women: one madly intent on enslavement and revenge, the other fighting for a free and rational humanity - as well as the precious life of her only daughter.
"Sherlock Holmes fans will find much to enjoy in this intriguing addition to the literary canon inspired by Conan Doyle's iconic creation. Lady Natasha Dorrington, however, is a character strong enough to sustain the interest of readers who know nothing of the infamous resident of Baker Street. An ingenious and compelling plot provides this fascinating female detective with twists and turns aplenty. I very much look forward to further Lady Sherlock adventures in the future." - Max Kinnings, author of HITMAN

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Lady Sherlock: Circle of the Smiling Dead may be Brooks Wachtel’s first novel, but he is no stranger to crafting compelling stories. He is an Emmy Award-winning writer with a long resume in TV and film.

Wachtel has written more than 100 produced episodes of television fiction, with shows as diverse as Fox’s live-action Young Hercules (starring Ryan Gosling) and animated hits like Spider-Man, X-Men, Heavy Gear, Robo-Cop, Beast Machines: Transformers, and PBS’ Liberty’s Kids. For younger viewers, he penned episodes of the pre-school hits, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Rainbow Fish. Wachtel's episode, "I Did it My Way," for Tutenstein won an Emmy Award.

For The History Channel, he co-created, co-wrote and executive produced many episodes of the hit series DogFights. Wachtel also wrote and produced other documentaries for that network, including episodes of Defending America: National Guard and The Coast Guard. Additionally, he wrote The Great Ships, Search and Rescue, The Royal Navy, and Fly Past, which won the Cine Golden Eagle Award. Wachtel recently co-wrote and co-produced Silver Tsunami, an award-winning independent theatrical documentary.

When not writing, Wachtel serves on the Steering Committee of the Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild of America, West; as well as teaching screenwriting at UCLA Extension. He is a performing magician member of Hollywood’s Magic Castle.